I was just flipping through my paper running log and looking over some notes I'd made. After every race I try to write down one thing I learned. A lot of those were specific to me personally, but some were more general. I thought I'd share this one, which comes from my first-ever mile race back in June. I was chatting with one of my running club teammates before the race and I mentioned how nervous I was. She said "awww, it's ok, I am nervous too!". Now, this is a 67 year old woman who routinely runs well above 80% age-grading, and as such, beats a LOT of women that are a LOT younger than her. I just thought, "wow, SHE gets nervous?! I guess everybody does!". Maybe that sounds really obvious, but hearing such a strong runner say it so matter-of-factly really made me understand it and realize that very strong runners are not immune from the doubts the rest of us face.
What did you learn this past year?
PRs:
5k - 22:53 (May 2015)
10k - 50:00 (unofficial; part of 20k race, March 2015); 50:33 (official; July 2016)
HM - 1:48:40 (Apr. 2015)
That sometimes less is more.
Warm&fuzzy
I'm faster than I thought I was. I didn't think I would ever run a mile under 8:00.
While I will never be "fast", I do have the potential to maybe BQ when I am 50. If I run my ass off the next 4 years.
Runner with a riding problem.
Super B****
This doesn't count as learning something new, but -- I learned that my body still hates me and that my bones still suck. (I actually did learn that they're stronger than they used to be. But apparently not in any utile way.)
On the flip side, I learned that aiming for the impossible sometimes help you learn that it isn't actually impossible.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Singer who runs a smidge
How to ride a bicycle.
When it's all said and done, no one remembers how far we have run. The only thing that matters is how we have loved.
Are we there, yet?
I learned that having a goal race coming up quickly isn't always sufficient motivation to get me out the door to run in the face of inclement weather and general malaise.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
delicate flower
I learned that it is not a good idea to start a marathon training cycle already feeling worn out, and that you need to pick and choose your goals, especially when multiple goals compete with each other.
<3
5K Specialist
January - Being injured sucks. Damn groin pull.
April - Being injured sucks and aspirin weakens the muscles. Damn calve pull and blood clot that put me on aspirin.
December - Brick mail boxes break bones.
Overall - If you go into a year with no goals, then you will not accomplish anything.
That is it.
Personal Bests:
800M - 2:38 (5/28/13) | 1 Mile -5:54 (5/28/13) | 3K - 11:55 (12/29/12) | 2M - 13:00 (12/1/12) | 5K - 20:00 (4/12/13) | 13.1M - 1:37:24 (2/3/13)
January - Being injured sucks. Damn groin pull. April - Being injured sucks and aspirin weakens the muscles. Damn calve pull and blood clot that put me on aspirin. December - Brick mail boxes break bones. Overall - If you go into a year with no goals, then you will not accomplish anything.
So if you had goals, you wouldn't have gotten injured?
Mostly harmless
That speed and body weight are directly related.
"It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi
May - August I was healthy but kind of be bopped around because I had no motivation to race or do speed work in the heat.
Former Bad Ass
That I am faster than I give myself credit for. And that I still suck at racing notwithstanding what I just posted.
Damaris
race obsessed
More evident when going up or going down hills.
Never mind -- I'm too lazy to explain what I really mean.
Team TJ
I learned that your results are absolutely proportionate to your effort. If you're a lazy ass, your running results will FN suck.
Running for TJ because he can't.